Free Prince Charming by Julie Garwood Page A

power, she thought. This one didn’t look like he would be afraid of anything or be at all vulnerable to attack. From his appearance alone, she judged him to be more than capable of protecting his property.
    And the babies, she thought. He would protect the babies.
    Wasn’t that all that really mattered? His reputation shouldn’t concern her and neither should her bizarre reaction to him. For her purposes, he was more than adequate. He was perfect.
    She let out a sigh. Her friends echoed the sound. They were obviously as mesmerized by the man as she was.
    William and Lucas crossed the ballroom from different angles, yet they both reached Taylor at the same time. They stood no more than three feet apart. William was on her left side and Lucas was on her right.
    William was the first to speak. His voice held a note of anger. “Taylor, I want a word in private with you.”
    â€œYou aren’t going anywhere alone with her,” his wife snapped from behind.
    Taylor ignored both William and Jane. Her head was tilted all the way back so she could keep her gaze firmly directed on the man who had stolen her every logical thought. She was desperately trying not to be afraid of him. He did have the most beautiful eyes.
    â€œYou’re much taller than I remember.”
    The words came out in a bare whisper. Lucas smiled. Her voice appealed to him. It was throaty, soft, damned arousing.
    â€œYou’re much prettier than I remember.”
    Constance was right. He did have an adorable drawl in his voice.
    Chaos whirled around her. Everyone but Taylor and Lucas was suddenly talking at once. Constance and Jennifer were demanding to know when Taylor had met the stranger, Alison was begging for an introduction, William was arguing with his wife, and Hampton and Morris were loudly debating the possibility that Taylor might have already been introduced to the American, and how was that possible? Everyone knew Taylor had been in Scotland for the past several weeks, recovering from the humiliation, and when she was called back to London, she stayed cloistered with her ailing grandmother. When would she have had time to meet Lucas?
    Taylor couldn’t keep up with all the conversations going on around her. She was suddenly feeling quite exhilarated, however. The tightness inside her chest vanished. The chains binding her to England and to duty were being ripped away. She was going to be free. She knew that when she walked out of the ballroom, she would walk away from all the restrictions and responsibilities associated with England’s rigid society.
    She also knew she would never come back. She would never have to see her uncle Malcolm again, never have to look him in the eye and pretend she didn’t know about the atrocity he’d committed, never ever have to speak a civil word to him. She would never have to suffer Jane’s presence or cruelty again either, though that was certainly minor in comparison to her uncle’s sins, and she would never again have to feel ashamed or humiliated.
    Taylor let out another sigh. Freedom was just a few steps away.
    â€œIs it almost midnight, sir?”
    She blurted out her question, her eagerness sinfully evident. He gave her a quick nod in response. “We can leave now.”
    Everyone started pulling on her then. “Leave? Taylor, where is it you think you’re going?” Constance demanded to know.
    â€œIs she leaving with him?” Jennifer asked with a wave of her hand in Lucas’s direction. “She shouldn’t do that, should she? What will people think?”
    â€œExactly when and where did you two meet?” Hampton asked.
    â€œThey couldn’t have met before,” Morris stubbornly insisted.
    â€œYou aren’t going anywhere with him,” William announced in a near shout so he’d be heard. He was so angry, the veins in the sides of his neck stood out. His complexion turned a splotchy, ugly red.